Measure out your desired picture ledge length and make a mark (mine will be 5ft or 60 inches). Carry that mark the width of the board with your utility knife. This is going to create a guide to rest the handsaw's teeth into to enable you to make a straight cut. Think of it like bowling bumpers that keep your ball from FAILING- same thing here! Clean up the ends of your cut with a sanding block.

I'll be using a Kreg Jig to join the back and bottom boards of our picture ledge. I mark out 2" from each end and 8" thereafter. Next I pre-drill on those marks using my Kreg Jig that has been setup to accommodate 3/4" material.

If you don't have a Kreg Jig you can use screws and wood glue through the back end of your back board.

Chemistry time!! When you combine steel wool and vinegar the solution is called iron acetate. Iron acetate reacts with the tannin in the wood, which is a naturally occurring astringent. Because pine is a softwood, it does NOT have a lot of tannin. But guess what does? Black tea!

So brew a few bags of black tea and let them steep for about an hour. Liberally apply the tea to the wood. Once absorbed into the wood, the tea (tannin) will react with the steel wool and vinegar stain give the wood a weathered look.

Pour your steel wool and vinegar mixture into a smaller container so that you can get a paintbrush into it. Paint the steel wool & vinegar stain onto the ledge. It will go on clear, but don't freak out!! After a few minutes you'll get an amazing weathered finish!

Awesome! Thanks, I was just going to go surfing on the web when HT popped up with your live video. I want to make some barnwood looking picture frames since the actual ones are so pricey and in demand.